Sindar - Tower of the Sun

Band: Sindar
Album: Tower of the Sun
Genre: Progressive/Black Metal
Country: United States
Label: Independent
Released: September 26, 2025

Introduction

Sindar is a U.S. based metal project that operates well outside of strict genre boundaries. Seamlessly blending progressive metal with elements of extreme, folk, classic and blackened music. The Salt Lake City, Utah duo consists of Kona Ossana, and Christian Lucy. Taking their name from the Tolkien legendarium, the Sindar or Grey Elves. Having released their debut full-length album Splintered Light in 2020, Tower of the Sun serves as Sindar’s sophomore release.

Track Listing:

1. Eclipse
2. Black Moth
3. Green Fields
4. Arnor (Tower of the Sun)
5. The Ranger
6. Nightingale
7. Field of the Dead
8. Inheritance

The Album

Everything that was once great about Sweden’s Opeth, Sindar has managed to take and not only make it their own, but somehow make it better. Tower of the Sun could easily have been an early Opeth album, the scope, the shifting vocals, the folk passages and instrumentation throughout are all heavily steeped in the classic Opeth sound. Take that and blend it with themes and lyrics immersed in Tolkien's Middle-earth and you have Sindar. My first listen through this album I was ill prepared for just how incredibly good it was going to be. Self admittedly, I'm a man of simple pleasure and I was originally drawn to this release because of the nod to Tolkien, but I stayed for the music. This band could be huge and it's a shame that they seem to only have a small cult following at the moment. Everything about this release is top notch. The song structures, production, instrumentation, vocals, and artwork punches well above what one would expect from an unsigned duo from the American west. Those looking for straightforward black metal arent going to find it here. The band leans heavily into the progressive elements, but it's done so well and with an immense amount of creative genius that it feels cohesive and seamless. The clean vocals rival Mikael Åkerfeldt's in his prime and the death growls are sure to make any Opeth fan smile ear to ear. There is no flashy or overly technical musicianship, no extravagence or ridiculous gimmicks, but rather its strength lies within the songwriting itself. Blending so many genres and influences together into a cohesive and functional album isn't an easy task but Sindar does it with such class that it leaves one slack-jawed. This is a modern progressive metal masterpiece. Dare I even say the American Opeth.

Conclusion

I cannot praise this album enough. From start to finish it is a masterpiece. Intricately weaving together folk passages, classic rock inspired ballads, death and black metal with a splash of synth laden psychedelic rock for good measure, Sindar is beyond a doubt an incredibly talented duo and will surely resonate with fans of Opeth or progressive metal as a whole.

BMZ Rating: 9 out of 10

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